Newbie question on importing

[moonclamp]

I'm running a phpbb2 forum with a few hundred members, this forum is highly modified and quite removed from a vanilla phpbb2.

When I use an importer what actually happens? does it change the already existing tables or does it create new ones based on the same information?

Will I be able to import into a new database on the same server and still keep the old database going at the same time?

I can sacrifice some stuff but cannot afford to lose the basic data in the users table.

I know this has probably been asked before but I want to make sure I don't destroy my old forum while I'm building the new one.

Thank you

[Zachery]

It does not alter your original data in anyway, it only imports it into the new info into the vBulletin database

I suggest if its possible to use two databases, one for the old data, and one for the new.

[moonclamp]

That's what I needed to know, I don't want anything overwritten or altered in the original set up, and yes I can use another database.

Thank you

[Zachery]

And before you begin anything you should always have your backups just incase something crazy happens like the a metor hitting the DC

[Jerry]

That's what I needed to know, I don't want anything overwritten or altered in the original set up, and yes I can use another database.

Thank you

An import will never alter the source database, its only runs select SQL and can be run from a read only user account on the MySQL server.